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Chapter 15 of Richard Foster's book titled "Prayer" focuses on the prayer of suffering. Foster looks at where suffering and prayer meet, as well as what it means to be a community that shares the sufferings of its people. The issue of suffering has been something that I have been dealing with personally as well as with various friends in my community who are going through difficult circumstances. One friend at seminary is in the midst of divorce, another friend is struggling through cancer. My wife and I have been dealing with the loss of our baby through miscarriage (as are a couple in our small group which happened two weeks after us). So many things happen all around us to both good and bad people and it always leads us to the same question, 'Why is there suffering in the world?'

Foster asks this question too, but decides that the question is incomplete. Even if we are ever able to answer this question about the existence of suffering, the outcome does not change. There will be suffering but Foster leads us into another question. That question is, "How do I enter into the suffering that is in the world in a way that is redemptive and healing?" How can I(we) as a christian take suffering by the horns and wrestle into something that I and others can build on? How do I allow God to work through the suffering to bring about healing and restoration within the body of believers? And even more importantly, how do I take this restorative power to those on the outside of Christianity and demonstrate the power and victory of God over these things?